What
if Teaching Went Wild?...pp. 8-12
by Anthony Weston
Even indoors, it is still possible to unsettle the modern world's
deeply-felt sense of disconnection from the natural environment.
Anthony Weston suggests a series of everyday and practical
strategies for teachers to encourage their students to "go
wild", even in the conventional classroom setting.
Environmental
Service-learning Projects: Developing Skills for Action...pp.
13-17
by Lynn Dominguez and James McDonald
Service-learning is a teaching and learning method that connects
meaningful community service with academic learning, personal
growth and civic responsibility. Participation in environmental
service-learning projects helps students hone their leadership
skills, bolster their self-esteem, learn about environmental
issues, and have an impact in their community. This article
describes the Action Team Project, a service-learning model
designed to assist teachers in using service-learning pedagogy to
help their students develop skills for taking action on local
issues.
There
is No "Away": Learning from Ecosystems about
Sustainable Waste Management…pp. 18-23
by Amanda Tetrault and Christina McDonald
This article describes a month-long inquiry-based unit for middle
school students that is designed to help students conceptualize
how much waste they produce, where it goes, how it is cycled in
the system, and how to get rid of it. Like many similar units,
students sort lunchroom garbage, observe the effects of waste
incineration, and visit a local landfill. What is unique is that
they spend time in natural settings observing how nature disposes
of “wastes”. Later they visit local businesses and
develop waste minimization plans for those companies. Along the
way, they think a lot about sustainability.
First
Flight with Raptors…pp. 24-27
by Gail Hall
Birds of prey are fascinating "hooks" for teaching
basic biology concepts and arousing the interest of young student
in the natural world. This article presents several inquiry-based
teaching activities that introduce kindergarten students to basic
biology concepts, using birds of prey as an engaging focus for
learning.
Challenging
Corporate Sponsorship in Schools...pp. 28-29
by Jessica Lax and Jocelyn Land-Murphy
Corporate funding of public schools often comes with strings
attached, such as soft-drink contracts that require schools to
meet sales quotas, educational materials that support the
corporate sponsor's viewpoint, or the exchange of cash for a
captive audience for advertising. Addressing this important
subject, the authors suggest activities that can be undertaken in
many subject areas to investigate the impact of corporate
sponsorship and advertising in schools.
Guiding
Your School Toward Environmental Literacy…pp.31-37
by Jeff Reading
Jeff Reading guides teachers, students, and their families to
become knowledgeable, concerned, and empowered individuals who
understand their personal impact on the Earth and actively seek
ways to maintain or improve the health of the planet. This
five-step environmental literacy program has been practiced for
10 years in schools in Calgary, Alberta.
The
World in a Cake…pp. 38-42
by Jackie Kirk and Mary Gale Smith
This simple and adaptable recipe provides a tasty focal point for
exploring how our food links us to people and places around the
world.
And as always, over 20 new educational resources are profiled and evaluated in this issue of Green Teacher.
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